The number of journalists jailed for doing their job has touched a record high this year, seeing a jump of 20 percent as compared to last year with a tally of 323, according to the annual prison census by the Committee to Protect Journalists. India too continues to remain at a record high for the second consecutive year, with seven journalists behind bars, including six charged under the stringent UAPA, it said.
According to CPJ, the countries with the highest number of journalists in jail are Iran, China, Myanmar, Turkey, and Belarus. CPJ said that a “key driver” behind efforts by authoritarian governments to repress journalism is an attempt to “keep the lid on broiling discontent” amid the twin crises of the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
